Average Joe

Gonebabygone

I doubt there would be many new employers to replace all the ones that have left or closed without bribing them with tax cuts. And most of the jobs they bring are for the low skill and low education set…just the voters needed to keep incompetent politicians. I wouldn’t bet against that being a reason those still get handed out.

The city is done. It has been for a while. It finally trickled up to city employees instead of down to taxpayers like it has for the last 20 something years.

John

Jen

Imagine that you retire after 25-30 years with a company. You will receive 60-65% of your ending salary. You pay $300 a month for healthcare. And…7 people decide with a wave of their pens, 7 people who will never worry about their healthcare, to force your payment to balloon to $1600 a month. What in the hell are you supposed to do? You are too old to work, have health issues, and have a family. Seriously, what are you supposed to do? If this happened at ANY of the businesses in this area, like Fed Ex, people would be striking and rioting. Oh, but civil servants should just bend the knee?

Gonebabygone

In private business, you don’t have a guaranteed income at retirement like that and yes, at that age, you stand to pay just as much for coverage with whatever 401k you have left after the market drops out. We already know how that feels.

Private business provides stock options, bonuses, and other benefits. By the way, next time my personnel are exposed to Aids, Hepatitis C, hazardous materials, disabling injuries I guess we can just wait for some sorry statement like you to show up and help,,,,, I don’t think so…. If you need directions, you can PM me I don’t hide behind a BS name…..

Bill Zebub

Not true Jen, the Private Sector has been suffering too long providing you with Drema Benefits. As our Former Mayor once said, “If you don’t like it, leave”. Your policies are going to go down, YoBama said so.

This is not seven people in Memphis doing you in. This is Barrycare. Welcome to the affordable healthcare act. Better known as Obamacare. At least give credit where credit is due. Five million of us went through this in October, and are still dealing with. Where was all this outrage last October. You want to complain call Barry.

Hjc

Don

Inside city hall, (behind locked doors and security guards) Mayor Wharton’s chief administrative (mouth piece) officer said this decision wasn’t popular, but it was the only one presented. And it’s final.

gypsy lee

why was this the only option presenteds not fair to single out the city employees to take up the slack. so raise
property taxes everyone will contribute . i’ll bet whartons benefits were not affected. if you going to march for
anything let it be for whartons impeachment

Lynn

Do these people understand that the unemployment rate and underpaid salaries of those who are employed in this city plays a role in the lack of tax base for the city, county, and state government or they just don’t care. How do they exoect us to pay more when we are unemployed or on fixed income. They need to wake up to the facts. Additionally, for the last several years police officers have been caught doing everything but their jobs. The crime (excluning police officers crime) is not different now than it was when the city was overstaffed.

People need to understand. this is the only insurance we can get and no one even in the private sector pays $1600/mo. Because we paid into our own pension (our money) we did not have to pay into medicare…so most are ineligible for Medicare and cannot get that insurance….We do not qualify for Obamcare because the city still offers us insurance if we opt out…we have to go in with previous medical condition which is gonna be as much as they are going to charge us…I know the private sector thinks our pension checks are a lot of money but most are less than what the public gets for medicare …the reason we took the job it was what they used to entice us to work for your fair city. now they are hurting the seniors who gave them the years and now they are gonna leave them broke! Think about it.

dada

Jennifer

I’m not going to claim to understand everything that’s going on, but it seems the city could have protected current retirees. Anybody with say 15 years or more to go before they can retire has the new rules to follow. Some sort of compromise from both sides seems sensible. However, I must say as far as insurance benefits go Memphis City School teachers that are now Shelby County School teachers had the same increase in premiums last year and I don’t remember hearing quite the outrage.

t george

I’m sure quite a few people on here have already looked at it, but have ya’ll looked at the City of Memphis budget and where they allocate our money? Just take a look see and it will make your blood boil. 4 million dollars alone for GOLF? an unbelievable amount allocated to the City Attorneys Office and yet they pay their “cronies” well over the regular rate to represent our fair City when they have attorneys on staff who can do the work on the salary they are already paid…. and there is something real fishy going on with all the money allocated for the Libraries in this town…which btw, are filled with AC’s buddies….they could “CUT” the fat many places…but no they want to stick it to the loyal hard working people…stinks to high heaven!

Michael Conry

If the city is broke at least act that way in the rest of the budget spending…but at least In the worst of times any changes should be worked out with active employees …. The retirees should never be a consideration for these type of cuts
If changes have to be made come to us active employees and work out a compromise …. Not the retirees …that have no choices left to take….

Corky

If you want to see where the money is going, I strongly suggest you hang out at the parking garage exit at city hall at quitting time. It is amazing how many of the city’s administration are driving new Mercedes Benz, Lexus, BMW, Cadillacs and others I don’t recall right off. Of course then you have the mayor being chauffeured around in a brand new Cadillac at the tax payers’ expense. The budget problem is not employee benefit or union based. It is Memphis’ leaders that are sponging off the tax payers while they get the citizens looking the other way. The city charter forbids what they are doing. You don’t spend money on your special projects when you can’t pay your bills that you currently have. Seriously, go sit in front of the Mud Island parking garage and watch what comes out of city hall.

Corky

I’d love to see News 3 do a story on the council and city administration living it up on tax payer dollars, driving cars that most city workers can’t afford, and padding their retirements while throwing the men and women out in the cold that actually work for a living.

Raymond

John g

Corky

Talk about “Chill Out”, Chicken Little …. I mean George Little needs to chill out and take a breath. He was in such a hurry to clear city hall Tuesday that he ran the red light coming out of the garage and almost T-boned an innocent citizen.